The sports of tennis and golf are regularly played by a significant portion of the population. Playing either tennis or golf involves striking a ball with a tennis racquet or golf club, respectively, gripped by the player's fingers and hand while the player's elbow joint is kept substantially extended, the player's wrist joint is kept substantially neutral, and both joints are kept substantially immobile, and while the player's upper extremity is accelerated through a shoulder motion from a flexion-abduction position to an extension-adduction position (tennis backhand) or while the player's upper extremity is accelerated through a shoulder motion from an extension-adduction position to a flexion-abduction position (typical golf swing or tennis forehand). The use of the tennis racquet or golf club greatly increases the force contacting the ball beyond the force that would be exerted if the player contacted the ball with the player's hand only and, therefore, greatly increases the counter force exerted on the player's upper extremity when the ball is struck. This unnaturally large counter force exerted on the player's upper extremity, along with the substantial immobility of the player's elbow joint and wrist joint, places considerable stress on the player's elbow joint. This considerable stress frequently damages the smaller muscles, and the tendons and other connective tissues that stabilize the player's elbow joint at the medial epicondyle and the lateral epicondyle, resulting in pain, swelling and loss of function. Such damage is referred to as “lateral epicondylitis” or “tennis elbow,” and “medial epicondylitis” or “golfer's elbow ”
Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow are a source of significant morbidity among tennis players and golf players, often requiring both cessation of play and affecting daily activities other than play. For professional players, tennis elbow and golfer's elbow can lead to a substantial decrease in income. Currently, the treatment of tennis elbow and golfer's elbow involves symptomatic treatment of the pain and swelling, and avoidance of playing tennis and golf, the activities that caused the damage. There are, however, no effective devices or methods for preventing the damage underlying tennis elbow and golfer's elbow. Further, there are no effective devices or methods for specifically accelerating repair of the damage underlying tennis elbow and golfer's elbow.
Therefore, there is a need for devices and methods for preventing the damage underlying tennis elbow and golfer's elbow. Further, there is a need for devices and methods that specifically repair the damage underlying tennis elbow and golfer's elbow.